Machine for labeling and wrapping circular and angular articles



May 9, 1933. R. HARTMANN MACHINE FOR LABELING AND WRAPPING CIRCULAR AND ANGULAR ARTICLES 5 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1950 May 9, 1933. R. HARTMANN MACHINE FOR LABELING AND WRAPPING CIRCULAR AND ANGULAR ARTICLES au .l

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E 7? u 5h' a l Filed Jan. 27, 1950 May 9, 1933- R. HARTMANN 1,907,539

' MACHINE FOR LABELING AND WRAPPING CIRCULAR AND ANGULAR ARTICLES Filed Jan. 27, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet `5 fr l 73 grae ff t

Patented May 9, 1933 nEINHoLD HARTMANN,

or naasnnN; GERMANY MACHINE FOR LBELNG AND WBAPPIIl'G CIRCULAR AND ANGULAR Applicationled January 27, 1930, Serial Ito. 423,840, and in Germany April 13, 1929.

This invention relates to a machine for labeling and wrapping circular and angular articles which are taken from an irregular heap, sorted, counted and fed tothe winding device, which labels and wraps the articles.

According to the1 invention the articles to be"packed,` forexample tablets, are taken from an irregular storage heap, and introduced singly, in juxtaposed endlessfconsecutive, continually `or intermittently moving frame-like elements, open at the front end,

at the inclination' of which elementsthe tablets fall intochutes for further treatment. The frame-like elements, each of which l preferably only accommodates one tablet, but may also receive any number of tablets, arranged one behind the other in the feeding direction, are `arranged side by side in a o,number corresponding to the number of chutes for a certain" number of tablets in one wrapper, and can be arranged in endless rows in any suitable manner, for example by feeding chains or feedingbands tted with the elements, which chains or bands can be provided separately for each justaposed row of elements or for all rows together. According to the invention the arranging, counting and feeding of the tablets and the like are carried out on travelling beds, for example on a known pocket chain, quicker and absolutely cleanly by mechanical means, in that any desired number of tablets can. be placed on dierent points of the travelling beds simultaneously and, in the direction of the thickness of the tablets, mutually displaced by the thickness of the tab- 5@ versely to their travelling direction, which lets, from any desired number of stationaryy are emptied in stages equal to a thickness of a tablet, or into travelling beds, which at each moving step, or after one or more idle moving steps, are shifted transversel tp their travelling direction by the thic ess of a tablet.

The formation of rows, each comprising a certain number 'of tablets, ready for packing gradually during the travelling of 'their beds, suitablyl joined the one behind.v the other in chain orm, enables a very quick charging of all tablet beds with goods consecutively in a row, whereas the charging of each individual bed with the full number of tablets necessary for one packing at one \time requires a long time, whereby the eiiiciency ofthepacking machine dealing with i `the tablets is considerably decreased.

According to the invention the two feeders, which hold thetablets or the like between themyremove them from the travelling beds andfbring them into the path ofi the wrapping device of themachine, and are mutually adjustable as regards mutual distance by any1 suitable means so'as to be able to conveyarticles of any length or any number of articles in rows with the feeders. The two feeders can further be lifted out by suitable Ameans so that, when being lifted out, the chain-like'connected beds for the tablets or thelike can travel thereunder independently of the movment of the feeders. The wrapping ,device consists according to the invention of a'wrapping band of suitabley'f'material, yieldingly held on the one hand and rigidly connected on the other hand to an oscillatable lever or the like, in conjunction with a slidable carriage carrying two guide rolls lfor the wrapping band, the band being held stationary, during the displacement of the carriage, by the lever which has been oscillated and the article to be wrapped, which may also be a bar of chocoi late, a box, an octagonal bottle or the like, is thereby turned and the wrapper and thev label are pressed tightly against and wound around the article. `Inversely the two guide rolls for the wrapping band may, according to the invention, remain stationary during the wrapping operation, and the wrapping bandl fastened an oscillatable-lever or to.`

a roll `or the like alternately changing its .direction of rotation so that the wrapping and labeling of round or angular articles rcan be carried out between the two guide rolls n tle loop formed by the moving wrappingv In the first instance the lateral foldingof the wrapper can be effected, during the displacement of the carriage and therefore also ofthe article to be wrapped, by folding cheeks, known per se, arranged according to thewinventionon springs and adjustable in position, and in the second instance'at the rotation of the article removing at the same spot in the wrapping loop by means 'of foldloop and moving or rotating periodically or continually.

The ram, which presses'the articles with the wrapper and label placed thereunder into the wrapping loop, is according to the inven# tion adjustable in height in -or onits holder for different heights ofarticles. For the vari-` ous lengths of the articles this ram is composed of two parts longitudinally adjustable, the arms of the ram, arranged on the two end sides of the same, are movableunderl pingfour tablets is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 shows in elevation the device for arranging and feeding the tablets from the shafts. y 'f' Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail of-this device.

, Figs. 4 to 6 show a device for counting the tablets and for feeding the same onto the travelling beds.

Figs. 7 to 9 show such adevice in modified construction, l

Fig. '10 shows inA elevation the devicefork emptying the travelling beds. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of Fig. 10, Figs. 12 to 14 show a wrapping device, Fig. 15 is a modification of Figs. 12 to 14, Fig. 16 shows-in front elevation the ram pressing the rows of tablets into vthe wrapping 00P, f Fig. 17 is a side elevation of Fig. 16. Figs. 18 and 19 show a wrappingdeviceof modified construction.

In Figs. 1 and 2 an endlessband 3 is guided over drums 1 and 2, the drum- 1 being driven in the direction of the arrow. 'On this fingers arranged on each side of said` endless band 3 plates 5 are secured with rivets 4i (Fig. 2)` each of these plates forming four frame-like juxtaposed elements 6. These elements have in the feeding direction of the tablets t (arrow in Fig. 1),;no front wall so that they are similar to scoo s. Each element 6 has a dischargeopening in its bottom portion, which continues as a similar opening `8 of the band 3. A stripper 9 composed of bristles is arranged above the band 3, which `stripper is preferably adjustable in height 'for adaptation lto the thickness of thetablets t. Guides 10 alsomade of bristles rare arranged on the front wall ofthe elements 6 in A the feeding direction of the tablets and further similar` guides 11 are provided on the rear Wall of the elements 6, which guides are also suitably adjustable in height. On the common carrier of the guides 11 guide noses 12 are fastened. An abutment bar 13 (Fig. 1) is situated behind the drum 2 extending across the Vwidth of the band 3, ar .d under this bar four chutes 14 are arranged with a further four chutes 15 in front of or behind the chutes 14. Under the band 3 a collector 16-l is provided. The guides 10 and 11 may be ping through the gaps 7 and 8 into the collector 16. -On the other hand all tablets t in the elements 6 are first pushed upwards bythe guides 10 (Fig. 2) and then downwards by the guides 1l, so that the damaged tablets lose their hold on the bottom of the element 6 and tipand fall into the collector 16, whereas the perfect tablets always bear on the bottomof the elements .6 during their displacement by the guides 10 and 11, as the openings 7 are suitably dimensioned. The

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guide noses -12 then bring all the tabletsl I into the centre of thev width of the element 6. When the band 3 passes over the drum 2, the elements 6 with the tablets t assume an inclined position, the tablets being at first prevented from' dropping by the abutment bar 13,*but drop behind the same into the chutes 14, whence they reach the known pocket chain ofthe wrapping machine. The feeding of the tablets t by the elements 6 to the chutes 14 is effected quicker than the removal from the chutes 14 into the pocket chain in view of any possible damaged tablets or unfilled elements 6. When, as shown in Fig.

3.-a chute 14 is entirely filled with tablets t,

the tablet vfurther fed theretocomes into vcontact with the uppermost tablet in the 15 and thence into a collector. The tipping of the tablets is effected positively by the rear wall ofthe elements 6. If necessary,-

special guide plates or the like maybe provided for conveying the tablets tffrom the elements 6 into the chutes 14 and 15.

According to Fig. 3 the four tablets fall out of the four simultaneously emptied frame-like elements 6. into four stationary chutes 14, open at the front, the upper entrance openings of which being situated 1n the same vertical plane, whereas their lower discharge openings with the guide plates 18 arranged thereon, are each displaced to the others by one thickness of a tablet.. The pocketsd 19 are conveyed under the chutes 14, which pockets, as shown in Fig. 4, are arranged in rows in chain form on an endless bandv20, running over two rollers, not shown in the drawings, and are moved periodically in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 4 under the row of pockets 19. When the row of pockets 19 comes to a standstill, a tablet t is delivered to each of the four pockets 19, arranged one behind the other, from'y the chutes 14l (Fig. 3), mutually displaced by the thickness of a tablet, so that only after the fourth stopping of the periodically travelling empty row of pockets 19, one pocket 19 has received four tablets, the following pocket three, the next two and the last of the vfour pockets one tablet t.' As the row of pockets 19 continues to travel, the feeding is effected gradually with-a row of four tablets in a continuous operation.

Accordinv'to Figs. 4 and 6, an endless steel band 21, wlth frames 22 arranged in chain form in a quadruple row side byside, moves transversely to the row of pockets 19 in the direction of the right ha'ndarrow in Fig. 5 over rollers not shown in thecdrawings. The inner free space of the frame 22, corresponding to the size of the tablets, extends down- Wardly into a gap in the band 21 so that the tablets t can fall from all the frames 22 into the pockets 19 as soon as their passage is allowed by the stepped .plate 23 (Fi 6), on which the periodically travelling and 21 rests. v

The device is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 in full operation so that on the-left, beyond the band 21 in Fig. 5 pockets 19 filled with four tablets arealready leaving. -The lowermost tablet t falls from all four chutes 14 into the frame 22 situated thereunder, when the band 21 is of frames-22 so that the fourth left row of frames contains five tablets. Every foremost of these.. tablets t has, according to Fig. 6, reached the discharge opening 24 of the plate 23 and consequently one tablet falls from each of the front frames 22, of the four rows of frames to which a tablet has been fed, the discharged tablets being ydisplaced each by the thickness of a tablet, sothat into the pocket 19 standing under the rst right hand row of frames 22 the iirst tablet 'drops for forming the row of four tablets ready for packing and so, gradually increasing up to pocket 19 stopped under the last left row of frames 22, in which pocket four tablets have row is then pushed together in a suita le man- \ner, in order to remove the gaps between. the

tablets, caused bylthe thickness of the walls of the frames 22, which must also be donefin the arrangement shown in Fig. 3.

According to Figs. 7 to 9, the chain-like united pockets 19 are each displaceable transversely to their travelling direction on an under pocket 19 with carrying block in a slot 25 and acted upon by a spring 26 (Fig.`

ldropped in a rowready for packin which 9). rlhis displacement takes place at every step of the pocket'chain 19 by the thickness of a tablet through the guide path 27 (Fig. 8)

In the position of the device illustrated in Fig..7, the first tablet t has dropped from the irst right hand chute 14 into the pocket 19, which is still empty when the pocket chain 19 is stopped. The pocket 19 standing under the last left hand chute 14 receives, owing to its greater displacement transversely to the chute 14 thepocket chain 19 moves away with a row of four tablets t ready foi` packing in every pocket 19.

When the pockets 19 have been emptied,

and .travel on their return course again towards the chutes. 14, all pockets are returned on their under pockets A19 through a second guide path arranged in the opposite direction to the guide path 27 into the initial position shown in Fig. 8 by the four right hand pook` ets 19 to be again filled with tablets.

The row of pockets 19', if the material of the tablets does not allow of such quick filling of the'chutes 14, can be fed with tablets at every second stop. Inthis instance the number of chutes 14 in Fig. 3, the number of chutes 14 and frames 22 in Figs. 4 and 5 and the number of chutes 14 in 7 and 8 must Under'this'guide 31 a guide 32 for a slide 33 l is arranged which is shiftable, through the lin intermediary of a lever 34 actuated by a cam disc not shown, in the direction of the arl-ow (Fig. 10) through lever 35 with an arm l36 hinged thereon. The bearings 29 on the slide 33 are, owing to the fastening screws 38 guided in the slots 27, adjustable so that the feeders 28 can be set for any length of the tablets t in the pockets 19, measured in longitudinal direction for the greatest distance of the articles. If the slide 33 is displaced in the direction of the arrow, the tablets t arrive in known manner on a plate 39 (Fig. 'l0

ram not shown into the wrapping device, whereupon the feeders-`28 return into their f initial position, shown in the drawings.

If duringthe stepwise movement of the 'pocket chain`19 the next pocket of the same, containing four tablets, is emptied vby the feeders 28, a cam disc 40 (Fig. 10) is rotated in the direction of the arrow so that its toe 41 moves the rollers 42 in upward direction, which roller is`arranged on the square rod 44rshiftable in stationary bearings 43, said rod inturn carrying the guide 31 for the rollers 30 of the two feeders 28, so that therefore the guide 31 and therefore the feeders 28, displaceable in the bearings 29, are

-lifted by the toe 41 such a distance, that the pockets 19 with the tablets t thereunder can move freely. Ifv then the roller 42 again runs on the concentric portion ofthe toe cam,

- 40 the guide 31 and the feeders 28 are lowered into the position shown.

The four tablets t are brought from.

the plate 39 bya ram, not shown, in known manner onto the wrapping band 45, on which a tongs, also of known construction, have previously placed the wrapper 46, if necessary :it the same time with a label thereunder (Fig. 12). The ram 47 presses the four tablets onto the wrapping band 45 and pulls this band downwards, the lever 48 actuated by a cam disc releasing on its oscillating to the left (Fig. 13) a suiiicient length of band that thewrapper 46 is not displaced but always comes lto rest on the same point. At the front end and at the rear end of. carriage 49 a double armed lever 50 and'an extension are provided, in each of which a rod-shaped roll51 and 52 is rotatable. When pressing dotted lines) and'moved from this plate by ai delicate packing material.

down the row of tablets t (Fig. 13) the roller 51 and the band 45 enclose the tab ets, owing to the lever arm and the ram 47 returns to the upper position. The lever '48 then tightens the band 45 and effects a partial wrapping of the tablets t' with the wrapper a46 13). After the lever 48 has returned to its inoperative position, the carriage 49, actuated by a cam disc, is shifted in the direction of the arrow` (Fig. 13) on the guide bar 53.` Owing to this displacement \'the tablets enclosed in the band 4:5, held by the lever 48, rotateV around their axis and the wrapper 46 is pressed tightly thereon and a perfect tight wrapping of the tablets is obtained.

During the displacement of the carriage 49 with the row of tablets and their wrapper 46. the lateral folding of the ends of the wrapper 46 is effected at thex same time according to Fig. 14 by the two folding cheeks 54, known per se, each cheek being carried by a plate spring 55, in order to compensate within certain limits' differences in length of the packings and to effect a correct'lateral folding Without danger of Vdamaging particularly Each plate spring 55 is heldby a carrier 56, the downwaidly bent arm 57 of which is adjustable in c a bearing 58 of the wrapping device and can according to the length of the articles t'o be packed.

As soon as the carriage 49 has arrived with the wrapped tablets under the catch plate 60, the lever arm 50-is returned byits actuating levr into the position shown in Fig. 12, the wrapping band 45 is'slightly tightened by its pull spring 6l andthe wrapped row of tablets is thereby brought against the catching plate 60, from whence it is delivered by means of an ejecting lever 62 actuated by a `cam disc to a carrylng off device of known type, provided with bands and serving at the same time for securing the adhesive seam.

If the articles'to be wrapped are not cylindrical, but ovall or multicornered, the pull sprin 61 of the wrapping band 45 is slightly tig tened, and a length of the band will ber-plaid out during the rotation over the projctins or corners of the article so that this band .always bears ltightly against the article.

According to Fig. 15, the guide rollers 63, 64b of colli tively large size are larranged over the de rollers 51, 52 so that the winding bandb45 is saved andhas a longer life.

with roller 65, with weightpull 66, which may be replaced by a pull up spring inside 'the roller 65. This wrapping band 45 lies,

when the individual parts are in their' initial position, stretched by the weight pull over.

, the two large guide rollers 67 and 68, each rotatably mounted in' a double lever 69 on which the elbow levers 71 actuated by a rod 7 0.` are hingedly connected.

The row of tablets t to be wrapped lies on the wrapper 46 supplied to the wrapping band 45 (Fig. 18) and both are pressed by the descending ram into the wrapping band 45 between the 'ide rollers 67 and 68, the wrapping band billing paidout by the roller 65 rotating in opposition to theweight pull- 66, whereupon the ram 47 again rises and the guide rollers 67 and 68 approaclbeach other, owing to the rising ofrod 70 (Fig. 19) A wrapping loop has thus been formed in thewrapping band 45, which loop sur`r rounds the row of tablets t With the wrapper 46. Thelever 48 is then-swung out in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 19) such a distance, and so much band 45 is pulled by this lever over the stationary guide rollers 67 and 68, that the wrapper 46 is applied on its Y whole length around the tablets rotated by #wrapper 46 has been completed, the guidel the band pull in the wrapping loop, and these tablets are wrapped in the wrapping 46.

During the rotation of the tablets -t in the wrapping loop the lateral folding of the wrapper is effected at the same time by the folding fingers 72 rotating periodically or continually in the direction ofthe arrow and arranged on each long side of the wrapping band 45, the first of said lingers producing the fold 46 (Fig. 19) at the beginning of the wrapping operation whereas theother folds are roduced bythe next fingers 72. en the wrapping qf the tablets with the rollers 67l and 68 return into their `opened position, and the lever 48 returns into/its initial position, and the band 45 again assumes its stretched horizontal position, fowing to the weight-loaded roller 65, so that fresh tablets can be wrappedafter those which have just been wrapped are brought out of the range of the ram 47.

On the known holder 73 (Fig. 16), controlled by a cam disc, the shank 74 of the ram `47 guided therein (Figs. 16 and 17) is adjustable in vertical direction by means of the screw 76 engaging through the slot 75 and adapted to besecured in its adjusted position. This holder can be lowered from the medium'position shown for the pressing in of the tablets t onto the wrapping band 45 and into the wrapping device for accomv modating smaller tablets and raised for pack-y ing-larger tablets.

Two dove-tailed guides are let in in longitudinal direction for the two guides 78 and 79 (Fig. 17) in the plates 77 of the ram 47 connected withthe shank74, the guide 78 be-A ing situated on part 8O and the guide 79 on the part 8l. Both ram parts 8O and 81 are e mutually adjustable towards the right and the left' (Fig. 16) or towards the front and the rear (Fig. 17) owing to the slot guide 82 (Fig. 16) for the screw 88 adapted to be screwed into the partl 81, so that the down- A wardly directed arms 84 and 85, arranged A i on the ram parts and 81, grip between them a comparatively long row of tablets, as the parts 80 and 81 move apart and con- Vey these tablets -to thewrapping and labeltablets, owing to the movement of the holden 73, so thatthe extensions 87 of the two arms 84 and 85 then press, owing to the action of the springs 86, against the undercut surface i ofthe two outer tablets t and hold same tightly together to enable them to be `perfectly wrapped. The resilient oscillatable f arms 84 and 85 compensate for any slight variations in length of the articles to be packed.

The folding fingers 72 shown in Figf19 are preferably also mutually adjustable and resiliently mounted on `their axle like the'.y

folding cheeks 54 shown in Fig. 14.

I claim 1. 1n a machine for labeling and wrapping articles in combination, a device for spraying out and cleaning the articles to be wrapped, pairs of guide chutes for the rows of articles, means for supplying articles to one group of -said guide chutes, supplying means for relic ceiving. articles from said guide chutes, a A

driving device adapted to impart a move ment to said supplyingr means, feeders adapted to grip the articles being supplied, means for reciprocating said feeders, means for controlling the stepwise movement of said driving device and bringing these movements in cooperative relation with one another, 1

lifting means for operating said feeders during the return movement, a wrapping device, and means for feeding the articles to said wrapping device.

2. In a machine for labeling and wrapping articles in combinationan endless power driven band, flat elements attached parallel to each other on said band,upright supports for the articles on saicLband, an' adjustable strlpper for spraying out articles, pairs of guide brushes forstraighto enin the articles', front guide chutes, means for irectin the articles to said front guide chutes, bac guide chutes for receiving articles in excess, a collector adapted to receive excess'articlesfrom saidback chutes,

supplying means for receiving articles in groups from said front guide chutes, a driving device for imparting a stepwise movement to said supplying means, feeders adapted to grip each group of articles and to shift same in lateral direction, means for reciprocating said feeders, means for lifting said feeders during their returning movement, and meansV for shifting articles to the Wrapping arrangement.

3. A machine as speciied in claim 1, comprising in combination with the supplying means, stepwise traveling r pockets olf'Y said means adapted to the shape of the articles, a stationary plate arranged above said pockets,

hingedly connected frames moved transversely to the travelling direction of said pockets and on said stationary plate, steps arranged towards the front side of said stationary plate in staggered positions according to the thickness of articles adapted to feed the articles into said pockets at different pointsQ simultaneously and at distances apart equal to the thickness of articles.

4. A machine as specilied in claim 1, comprising in combination with the travelling pockets and guide chutes, a stationary plate above said pockets adapted to determine the positions of said pockets, supports for said pockets, a guide rail adapted to shift said .l pockets on their supportsby the thickness of articles at each step of movement adapted to feed the articles from each of said chutes `to a corresponding number of said pockets in positions determined by said stationary plate. j

5. A machine as specified in claim 1, coml prising in combination a wrapping band yieldingly held at one end, and an oscillatable lever rigidly holding said Wrapping band 'at the other end, a slidable carriage, two guide rollers on said carriage adapted to support said ban-dsc that after having lowered a wrapper withv articles together with said wrapping band into a locking position said wrapping band is' slid over said guide rollers and rolls the wrapper round the articles as soon as said carriage is moved forward, means for laterally folding the wrapper, and carriers for said means mutually adjustable to any'distance apart.

rIn testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

REINHOLD HARTMANN. 

